It’s March 4th, the damp air of New York City hits my face as I exit the La Guardia airport. The hustle and bustle of suited individuals and tourist excitement runs all around me as I rush to my uber to head to Brooklyn– a place to call home for the next 5 days. I’ve arrived for the sole purpose of covering the underground music festival New Colossus, in the Lower East Side of Manhattan for their 7th run. 

I’m familiar with the festival as I attended last year. The line up was as exciting as it was the previous year. New Colossus is unique in its priority of melting the physical barriers for artists from both overseas and throughout the continent to show off their sound and showmanship to an audience from audioheads to industry professionals. I fall into the category of underground radio representation, you can place me somewhere in the gray area of the diverse audience. Despite being solo this year, I had some great companions throughout the experience from radio promoters and local talent supporting others. 

The crowd this year felt more lively, and feeding off that energy, artists were bold and loud. From jumping into crowds, surfing over a sea of guiding hands, to undressing and yelling as they stroll through the concert goers. The charming aspect that allows for these intimate interactions is the small venues that collectively supported this festival: Arlenes Grocery, Baker Falls, Berlin, The Francis Kite Club, Ki Smith Gallery, Niagara, Nublu, Parkside Lounge, Pianos, Silver Linings Lounge and Sour Mouse. Each venue had its own unique stage for artists to contour to their performance through lighting, sound and overall attitude.

The line-up for this year’s performers was stacked with bands that I had been familiar with and those that I wish I had been prior to the festival. I have the opportunity to speak with eleven artists from the festival; find those full-length conversations here. 

I kicked off the festivities with Tentative Decisions, a post-punk trio from Richmond, VA. It was a delight to speak with these three, they were just as expressive in person as they are in their music. What stands out most with their post-punk genre is that it has the approach that you often see with garage rock. Their music has everything that you love about post-punk with all the rawness you get from a good garage band. Their start was intuitive and has the excitement of finding friends you’ve been looking for a while.  

Their performance at Francis Kite Club completely woke up what seemed like a sleepy jazz bar when you first walked in. I think Virginia has something in their water, as last year the bands I’d interviewed had great music and the interviews felt less formal and more like you just made friends with someone at the local DIY show. All in all, a great opener to my NYC return. 

March 6, 2025 

Friday was a day full of interviews, all varying in genre.  I started the day off with Pillowprince, an Oakland-created queergaze band who recently moved to LA. The conversation surrounded non-heteronormative identity in their music and the community they cherish. Their debut EP has many different themes, such as grief, lust, and yearning. Everything you love and hate about the queer experience.  Their performance was emotive, Olivia Lee, singer and guitarist, haunting vocals echoed through the second floor of Pianos. It was a moody yet calming start to my otherwise chaotic day. 

I met up with the Viennese band, Lucy Dreams, after their space-age-like performance. Lucy Dreams is a trio consisting of David Reiterer, Philipp Prückl, and Lucy. Lucy is their artificially made third member. Don’t be mistaken, she is not to be confused with an AI bot, she’s a partner that David and Philipp made a mistake when they combined two channels. Lucy, named after lucid dreaming, is able to turn sounds recorded by her band members into something otherworldly, which sets the tone for their sonic wave art pop. My sit down with David provided me with perspective on Lucy and where music technology can lead the art. 

In huge contrast, I met with the boyish chaos that is The K’s, an indie rock band hailing from the UK. The Piano’s main showroom was packed to the brim with an audience consisting of English and American fans alike. Watching the lads work the room with unreal live vocals and excitement for their US debut was infectious. I got to speak with guitarist Ryan Breslin and bassist Dexter Baker. We talked about New York, Oasis and their musical influences. The interview was fun and refreshing to speak with people who don’t take themselves too seriously but are devoted to their sound. My plea to the band is to record a live sessions album; their recent LP release, Pretty On The Internet, has acoustic versions, and I’d like a full release of just that. 

I ended my night with Dallas Love Field, a band I had discovered before the festival. My excitement to speak with the shoegazers was undeniable. Despite what the name might suggest, the 4-piece band is from Glasgow, Scotland. They have three singles out currently, with a potential EP on the way. Despite the small volume of music out, each single stands alone in its uniqueness and overall balance of atmospheric sound with hard-hitting instrumentals to back. Their performance was a rouge-colored journey, matching the cover of their latest release, Pastime. As they swayed and strummed, enchanting the space, inviting a larger audience as the show went on. A dreamy way to end my second night in NYC. 

March 7, 2026

To awaken me from a trance-like state, I met with Kentucky-stationed punk band, Deady. The noon showtime filled the windows with light, clashing with the roughness of their sound. Their performance was filled with movement and getting into the faces of concert goers, everything you’d expect from punk rockers. My conversation with the 5-piece band spanned topics from Pavement, a love for Lil Wayne, and Looney Tunes (I swear we talked about their sound too).

To continue my day of noise, I enjoyed a performance by EATT,  five punkers who shook the second floor of Pianos. Despite their aggressive music persona, the Ohioans, in true Midwest fashion, were a pleasure to speak with. We talked about punk sound, what it means to be punk, and an unexpected appreciation of the Beatles and Elvis Costello (neither punk, but just as important). Their LP, Government Cheese, has political themes with clever lyrics, some inspired by Pink Floyd, something that’s lost within the new age punk surge. Next time you’re in Cincinnati, make sure to see the band and visit Three Feather Records (the band’s recommended stop). 

To cap my Saturday night, I saw the Sewing Club, another band I had discovered long before I discovered their appearance at New Colossus. I caught their late-night show at Parkside Lounge,  a venue that felt like a college bar at the front, from which you pass a few curtains to reveal a music venue. The trio packed the crowd and played hits like ‘Strange’, a single released in September 2024. The song has garnered over 1.5 million streams, shocking lead vocalist and synthesist Hanna McElroy. Their performance enhanced their studio releases and pulled in the audience with their brief comments in between songs. McElroy’s voice is just as impressive live as it is in studio recordings, making lyrics about heartache hit harder than expected. I got an impromptu interview with the three band members, discussing tour life, college endeavors, and airlines. The band implores Southwest to bring back the two-check-in allowance, and so do I! 

March 8, 2026

I began my last day in NYC with Sloe Noon, a German shoegaze artist. First time in New York, lead vocalist Anna Olivia Böke spoke about how inspiring it is to experience a place where individuals embrace a cool authenticity that curates the unmatched forces of the city. We can expect an LP from the artist, especially with how motivated the city has left Böke. Their performance later in the day captures the natural pull of music on Anna’s life. The passion and the love the artist speaks of are felt in their aura on stage. 

In stark contrast, I interviewed Welsh pop artist Ben Ellis. His music has everything you desire from a boy band all packed into one artist. Though his debut performance was completely stripped down and acoustic, it highlighted Ellis’s voice and songwriting abilities. Our sit-down conversation prior to soundcheck was sweet, and his overjoy for playing in the US was evident. Ellis and I spoke about his breakout on the social media space through his promotion of his 2023 single, ‘Sophia’, and love for Wales and its diverse music scene. 

Last but certainly not least, was with Preston Bell, lead vocalist and guitarist of The Heaven. Bell is a long-time performer as he has been touring since the age of 16 as a guitarist and bassist for a variety of bands, though Heaven is his first time fronting his own creation. In our interview, we talked about influences, skateboarding, hot takes on the trajectory of music, unexpected admiration for country music, and the way life has led Preston to this very moment. Preston’s profound observations and knowledge of a variety of dynamics within musical artistry show in his sound and performance. The Heaven performance felt real and unapologetic; it filled the room’s empty spaces and made it feel like an early-2010s underground show. Matching the sound and aesthetic of Bell’s independent project. I couldn’t have asked for a better end to my time in New York. 

New Colossus never disappoints in its ability to make you feel like a temporary local. The culture and openness of New York’s underground scene, with the unexpected sounds from overseas, create a community of artists and professionals that look out for one another while simultaneously searching for the next big thing. This balance is uncommon, but when found, it is great fun. As always, I am incredibly thankful for my time in NYC and for the amazing people I met along the way. Thank you!

Now for the music, here is my tracklist from the festival: 

TV Movie by Sex Mask

Be Around by Triples

Big Dig by Yuvees

Where she goes by Ben Ellis 

Sight of You by The Heaven 

Helen, Oh I by The K’s

Everybody’s Movin by Mannequin Death Squad (authors note: aussies rock f–in hard)

Prophet Margins by SNOWMEN 

Me and My Friends by Star’s Revenge 

Whisky by DBA!

Code to My Mind (Creator’s Cut) by Lucy Dreams

Blow It All Away by Shallow 

This Hate Hurts by Pinc Louds 

Once Again by Tramhaus

Evil Twin by Panam (author note: such a fun performance, wanted to say “OTRA” when it ended) 

Strange by The Sewing Club 

Daddy’s Shoe by Tilden 

Play Thing by EATT

Drowned Out by Dallas Love Field 

Scream by Lane

Drama by Alix Fernz (authors note: this song was insane live)  

Joy supplier by sorry face

Everyone But Me by Doused 

Bracelets by Talon 

Haulien by Choses Sauvages (authors note: the set had the entire venue moving– fantastic) 

Decode by Buzhold 

New > Old by Sloe Noon 

Hotel 65 by Lucid Express

Babybird by Pillowprince

Jawbreaker by Tentative Decisions 

Together by closeout

Opal by activemirror. 

Knock by Deady